A "project flute"....
Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2024 9:26 pm
Been contacted by a chap in Illinois. He has an early Firth Hall & Pond flute that would benefit from a bit of work if someone fancied a "project". The flute appears to be unstained boxwood, with integral wooden turned rings rather than bone, ivory or metal. It comes in four parts, a head without tuning slide, separate LH, RH sections, and short D foot, and has a single Eb key of the brass flap variety. The overall length of 23.25" would seem to confirm his measurement of it being a D flute. It has smallish holes as was fairly common with these flutes.
The head has a straight crack running up from the socket for a few inches, currently bound with thread to keep it closed. That's probably not a really hard crack to deal with, as the head is unlined, so you have access to it. It is one of the weaknesses of having wooden "rings" rather than metal, ivory or bone. Although it has to be said you find ivory rings that have cracked even though the wood under them is still OK. Ivory shrinks faster than wood.
And the photos he sent me are good and shows the crack well. This looks like a nice old flute that would suit someone with repair skills or wishing to acquire repair skills. I reckon it would come up nicely.
Anyone interested, I can supply his contact details. Shoot me a note at terrymcgeeflutes@gmail.com.
(I'd go for it myself except I have a cupboard full of old flutes that I should be trying to rehome rather than add to!)
The head has a straight crack running up from the socket for a few inches, currently bound with thread to keep it closed. That's probably not a really hard crack to deal with, as the head is unlined, so you have access to it. It is one of the weaknesses of having wooden "rings" rather than metal, ivory or bone. Although it has to be said you find ivory rings that have cracked even though the wood under them is still OK. Ivory shrinks faster than wood.
And the photos he sent me are good and shows the crack well. This looks like a nice old flute that would suit someone with repair skills or wishing to acquire repair skills. I reckon it would come up nicely.
Anyone interested, I can supply his contact details. Shoot me a note at terrymcgeeflutes@gmail.com.
(I'd go for it myself except I have a cupboard full of old flutes that I should be trying to rehome rather than add to!)